ProfessorPangloss
Amateur Kentuckian
Greetings, all. I've been lurking on your blogs and enjoying seeing your preparations, but have been way too busy to post my own. I have been incredibly busy preparing for a huge 2016, with regard to growing tobacco and everything else. Here's the rundown, with some photo assistance:
Most of my efforts this year will be spent on growing food. You can see from my photos that I finished converting my backyard to raised beds (free scrap wood and free black topsoil from a paving project next door). I have also nearly finished building myself a permanent greenhouse (from free windows salvaged from an old house downtown). I like things that are free. I have also built a pretty substantial (for a home gardener) float bed system in my basement, which is already heated. I figured that was a good place to start seeds because the cat doesn't go down there (she ate the tops off most of my tomatoes last year) and I had a countertop that was pretty useless for other things and was just collecting junk. I got a bunch of 48" florescent lights from a friend renovating a shop (also free) and wired them up on chains so I can raise and lower them.
Why the huge setup? I am going to try to sell my tomato plants at the downtown farmers' market, which is a mere 5 minute walk from here. I have a large wooden garden cart my grandfather made about 60 years ago which I will resuscitate as my market cart (free). I've also received permission to use the entire vacant lot I used last year, which allows me more leeway to clear brush and throw away rubble since I am starting much earlier. I will plant whatever tomatoes I don't sell on this vacant lot and try to sell the fruit later in the summer, or if I can't sell it, can/freeze it for my family and friends.
Why the insane level of ball-busting? Anything worth doing is worth overdoing (one of my mottoes). And most importantly, my son is 3 going on 4, and he'll be forming his first memories this year. I want that to include a summer spent with family, tending flowers and food, doing what's important.
If you've made it this far, you'll want to know about tobacco plans. I am also working on a Perique press fashioned from an old cooking pot (more on that later), and I intentionally designed the greenhouse to have high gables without rafters, for hanging leaf right under the clear polycarbonate roof for ideal sun curing (that doesn't take up my whole shed). I plan to grow four varieties: Catterton and Perique (again), and VA Bright Leaf and Semois (new additions). I wouldn't be adverse to some Pennsylvania Red, but I don't have it at the moment and New Hope was sold out.
Here's the float bed with about 1250 tomatoes and such.
Here's the beginnings of the greenhouse. Note the Tonka Trucks helping prep the site.
The greenhouse, a week or so later
Today, from my kitchen. Note the gable framing without horizontal beams - keeps the loft space clear. The door was on the street near my house, discarded. A little scabbing, and it's up.
Lastly, here's a float tray. It's a 253-count I got from a colleague at work who is taking this year off from growing Burley. I made a seeder from two pieces of venetian blind (at the right side). I got the idea for that from Big Bonner, who has something similar.
Most of my efforts this year will be spent on growing food. You can see from my photos that I finished converting my backyard to raised beds (free scrap wood and free black topsoil from a paving project next door). I have also nearly finished building myself a permanent greenhouse (from free windows salvaged from an old house downtown). I like things that are free. I have also built a pretty substantial (for a home gardener) float bed system in my basement, which is already heated. I figured that was a good place to start seeds because the cat doesn't go down there (she ate the tops off most of my tomatoes last year) and I had a countertop that was pretty useless for other things and was just collecting junk. I got a bunch of 48" florescent lights from a friend renovating a shop (also free) and wired them up on chains so I can raise and lower them.
Why the huge setup? I am going to try to sell my tomato plants at the downtown farmers' market, which is a mere 5 minute walk from here. I have a large wooden garden cart my grandfather made about 60 years ago which I will resuscitate as my market cart (free). I've also received permission to use the entire vacant lot I used last year, which allows me more leeway to clear brush and throw away rubble since I am starting much earlier. I will plant whatever tomatoes I don't sell on this vacant lot and try to sell the fruit later in the summer, or if I can't sell it, can/freeze it for my family and friends.
Why the insane level of ball-busting? Anything worth doing is worth overdoing (one of my mottoes). And most importantly, my son is 3 going on 4, and he'll be forming his first memories this year. I want that to include a summer spent with family, tending flowers and food, doing what's important.
If you've made it this far, you'll want to know about tobacco plans. I am also working on a Perique press fashioned from an old cooking pot (more on that later), and I intentionally designed the greenhouse to have high gables without rafters, for hanging leaf right under the clear polycarbonate roof for ideal sun curing (that doesn't take up my whole shed). I plan to grow four varieties: Catterton and Perique (again), and VA Bright Leaf and Semois (new additions). I wouldn't be adverse to some Pennsylvania Red, but I don't have it at the moment and New Hope was sold out.
Here's the float bed with about 1250 tomatoes and such.
Here's the beginnings of the greenhouse. Note the Tonka Trucks helping prep the site.
The greenhouse, a week or so later
Today, from my kitchen. Note the gable framing without horizontal beams - keeps the loft space clear. The door was on the street near my house, discarded. A little scabbing, and it's up.
Lastly, here's a float tray. It's a 253-count I got from a colleague at work who is taking this year off from growing Burley. I made a seeder from two pieces of venetian blind (at the right side). I got the idea for that from Big Bonner, who has something similar.